"She's small."
"She'll grow."
The two men turned to stare down at her, watching as she shivered hard with the cold. She had wrapped her arms around herself, trying to retain any ounce of warmth she could muster into her chilled little body, her flannel sleep suit doing nothing to protect her from the biting frost.
"Smaller than the others."
"Then she'll just have to grow a bit more won't she."
She wasn't paying attention to them. She was looking over at the three unmoving shapes on the ground, watching their edges blurring as the snow continue to fall, heavy flakes settling on their prone forms.
"What if she doesn't grow?"
"Will you shut up."
She stared at them some more. Confused and wanting them to get up.
"Pick her up. We are going."
"Yes, Ivan."
He lifted her by the wrist and flung her over his shoulder. She looked back to search for them. The smallest had been completely obscured by the snow and she couldn't find him. Misha. Panicking she started to fling her tiny legs, thrashing her body to get free. She had to find Misha. She had to protect him. That was her job. Her mama and papa had said. Mama and papa. They were here. They had to be here. They wouldn't let the men take her. The men were taking her and she needed them to get up. She landed a sharp kick to the man's ribs and he let out a pained breath.
"Wriggly little…" He grunted, smacking her leg.
"Bet you're glad she's not bigger now."
He glowered at Ivan as he tossed her more firmly on to his shoulder, pinning her legs. She stretched herself taut to wiggle out, desperately holding out her arms, trying to reach back, squinting in the flurry, determined to find her little brother.
When they reached the vehicle she renewed her thrashing, making herself stiff and stretching out her limbs to grip on to the door frame, stubbornly refusing to get inside. She needed more time. Her mama and papa would get up. She just needed to give them more time.
"Get. In." The man growled, grunting with the effort of trying to detach limb after limb as she constantly reattached her grip when he prised one free. They fought until Ivan intervened.
"Enough." He snarled, pushing his partner out of the way. He grabbed the scruff of her suit and yanked backwards. The shock caused her to let go and she found herself hurtling back to land hard on the ground.
"You will do as you are told. Do you understand?" He seethed.
Shocked into stillness she stared dumbly back. He took a step closer to her and she nodded frantically, unconsciously bringing one hand up and chewing on a sleeve.
"Up."
She rose on frozen legs.
"You need to listen. Tell him you are sorry you didn't listen."
"Sorry." She whispered, muffled around the soggy fabric.
He slapped her hand away from her mouth. "Again. Properly."
She sniffled. "I'm sorry I didn't listen." She whispered again.
"Better. Get in. Sit down. Put your hands on your lap. I said put your hands on your lap. Don't move."
She twisted around to look out of the back window, seeing nothing but snow and smoke. A stinging smack to her thigh brought her head back around and she stared straight ahead, mercifully passing out with exhaustion soon after, her little mind screaming 'mama' and 'papa' until everything went black.
"She's small."
"She is to be trained." Came the unimpressed reply.
"She'll get broken." He sneered, angry that his role was currently reduced to that of a tutor for a diminutive teenager.
"Then make her unbreakable." Her words were unyielding. There was to be no argument. Conceding, albeit reluctantly to her authority the Soldier nodded once, curtly, to show his displeasure.
Madame B. stepped back to allow him to take over. He approached the centre of the room where Natalia was standing, staring straight ahead, face impassive. If she was intimidated by him looming over her she didn't show it. She was still the smallest of the girls, so was used to being looked down upon, and she was also too well indoctrinated to do something as amateur as let a reaction play on her face. Anything other than blank obedience would have been swiftly dealt with. They settled in to spar, the Soldier wanting to gauge her, and as usual she was fast, easily dodging the first few blows they traded, returning a few of her own as she danced gracefully around him. For a brief moment he let the surprise play across his face – clearly he had underestimated her. However, his respect for her skill was almost instantly erased as, out of view of Madame B., she shot him a condescending smirk – she knew he would underestimate her and had enjoyed testing his arrogance. In retaliation he backhanded her with his metal arm and she went reeling away, head smacking hard into the wall beside her and bouncing back off. Madame B. refrained from intervening. Natalia was her greatest achievement – though in spite of their teachings they had not yet managed to curb all of her emotions, and if she had to have them physically knocked out of her by the Winter Soldier, so be it.
"How's my little spider doing?" Ivan asked, as he casually leant back against the wall beside his colleague, joining her in assessing the pair sparring in the centre.
"You indulge her too much Ivan. It will spoil her."
"Nonsense. Besides, she knows what I'll do to her if she disappoints me."
"She needs another lesson in humility."
"It looks like she is getting one," Ivan replied, nodding at the pair – Natalia was on her knees, face pressed to the floor by the Winter Soldier's boot and her arm twisted high up her back, "but I'll make sure to reinforce the message later."
"She's small."
"This is gonna be easy."
"I thought they said she was dangerous."
"Well this is underwhelming. I've been gearing myself up for a proper fight since she arrived."
The two women pushed themselves off the wall, sauntering over to where the Widow had just entered, her own entourage following in shortly after. Protection, the Director had called it, until she could be trusted to wander the base alone. Though whether it was protection for, or protection from, they had not said.
"Sorry." One of the two Agents began politely, interrupting Natalia as she began taping her hands beside a row of punching bags. "We don't let murderous whores in this part of the gym, so I'm afraid you'll have to go elsewhere." She finished with a smile, her tone light and friendly. To Natalia's escorts, lingering by the entrance it looked like a civil introduction.
Natalia didn't even pause in wrapping her hands. She just wanted to train. It was her first time outside of the detention wing and she just wanted to move around of her own free will. They had controlled her every step, every moment, for weeks and she was beginning to become undone. She hoped she had left this behind, but had been made to feel more like a child again than she had in a long time. This pair were clearly after revenge. They had been waiting for this moment, she could see it in their eyes.
"I'm sure there's an Agent you can go pant under somewhere." The other one chimed in. She was the taller of the two and closed in on Natalia, doing her best to look down at her with disgust.
As she tucked the last of the wrap in she let out a soft sigh. Fine. If they wanted a fight, she'd give them a fight. At least it would give her chance to stretch her muscles.
"Is there one you haven't been under yet?" She baited, her Black Widow veneer settling into place.
It started with a swift swing of a bag into the face of one of the women and an elbow in the throat to the other. It devolved into a wrestling match between the agents, the escorts and her until, eventually, after much shouting, name-calling and strategic use of pressure points the trio had been separated. It ended with the three in the Brig, Natalia back in her cell looking contritely down at the ground, Nick looking down on her, a distinct look of fatherly disapproval fixed across his face.
"She's small."
"She's perfect."
"Auntie Natty!"
"Hey big boy! How's my favourite agent huh?"
"Wow." Clint chimed in, feigning hurt. "I thought I was your favourite agent."
"You're not even my favourite archer." She retorted with a warm smirk. "C'mere Coop, come and introduce us properly." She said, setting the boy on her lap next to the crib.
"This is Lila." The boy said softly, reaching out one gentle finger to stroke her head. "Mommy says she's a bit littlerer than normal but soon she'll grow big."
"I'm sure she will grow big and strong like you."
He leant forwards on her lap to reach further into the crib, trying his best to whisper into his sister's face, "Lila. This is Auntie Nat. She's the best. She flips me upside down. You can see her when you wake up. Mommy! Look! Auntie Nat is here!" He wiggled happily on her lap as Laura came walking in.
"I can see that sweetheart." She smiled, heading straight for Natasha. Cooper slid off and out of the way. Natasha slipped an arm around Laura's waist and Laura just as easily cradled her back, leaning down to plant a motherly kiss on the top of her head.
"She's beautiful Laura." Natasha said quietly, staring down at the sleeping bundle.
Natasha sat out on the porch watching the sun come up whilst Lila happily kicked Babygro covered feet against her sides, gurgling contentedly in her sling and dribbling over her auntie. Occasionally, in these moments, holding Cooper and now Lila, if she closes her eyes she thinks she can recall the faintest traces of warm baby flesh held against her own skin, see larger hands hovering nearby just in case.
"This is your sister, little cub. Her name is Natalia. She will always protect you."
When Lila started grizzling for a feed Natasha rose, one hand cradled under the baby's bottom, pressing little kisses against her head to calm her, and headed back inside to find Laura. She passed through the living room, finding her in the kitchen. There were some marks on the inside of a door frame. A series of parallel lines scored in pen. A tradition started several years ago. The first one at knee height, where they had propped Cooper up when he had first started to stand. The next a little higher, with 'Cooper, Age 1' written neatly to one side. Several more years tracked upwards, soon to be joined by the littlest Barton. And there, the highest mark, something for Cooper and Lila to aim for, a single red line with the initials 'NR' beside it. Someone to look up to.